The Howling (1981)

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Gary Brandner (based on the novel by), John Sayles (screenplay by)

Stars:

Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dee Wallace	...	Karen White
Patrick Macnee	...	Dr. George Waggner
Dennis Dugan	...	Chris
Christopher Stone	...	R. William 'Bill' Neill
Belinda Balaski	...	Terry Fisher
Kevin McCarthy	...	Fred Francis
John Carradine	...	Erle Kenton
Slim Pickens	...	Sam Newfield
Elisabeth Brooks	...	Marsha
Robert Picardo	...	Eddie
Margie Impert	...	Donna
Noble Willingham	...	Charlie Barton
James Murtaugh	...	Jerry Warren
James MacKrell	...	Lew Landers (as Jim McKrell)
Kenneth Tobey	...	Older Cop

Storyline

In a red light district, newswoman Karen White is bugged by the police, investigating serial killer Eddie Quist, who has been molesting her through phone calls. After police officers find them in a peep-show cabin and shoot Eddie, Karen becomes emotionally disturbed and loses her memory. Hoping to conquer her inner demons, she heads for the Colony, a secluded retreat where the creepy residents are rather too eager to make her feel at home. There also seems to be a bizarre connection between Eddie Quist and this supposedly safe haven. And when, after nights of being tormented by unearthly cries, Karen ventures into the forest and makes a terrifying discovery.

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Plot Keywords:

werewolf | silver bullet | psychiatrist | forest | female full frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

All your nightmares are about to be transformed into one single inescapable fear!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Joe Dante had been very critical of the book that this movie is based on, he did many interviews talking about how the book wasn't much good and how they had improved it in this movie. One day at the Hollywood Scriptwriting Institute for a lecture, Dante started talking and bad-mouthing the book. A man raised his hand from the audience and said, "So you don't like the book, huh?" and Dante answered, "Well no, not really", to which the man in the audience replied, "Because I wrote that book", the man in the audience was none other than Gary Brandner, the man who wrote the book. Dante was caught by the author on television.

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Goofs

When Eddie has Karen White in the porno booth, he says, "None of them do. They're not real, the people here. They're dead. They could never be like me," but his mouth is almost always closed the whole time.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. George Waggner: Repression. Repression is the father of neurosis, of self-hatred. Now, stress results when we fight against our impulses. We've all heard people talk about animal magnetism, the natural man. the noble savage, as if we'd lost something valuable in our long evolution into civilized human beings. Now there's a good reason for this.

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Crazy Credits

A burger being fried on a grill plays out over the closing credits.

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Alternate Versions

In the French video version (TF1) The scene where "Eddie" rips a bullet out of his forehead just before turning into a werewolf is missing. The theater version was uncut though.

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Connections

Referenced in The Truman Show (1998)

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Soundtracks

Wolf Bites Man!
(uncredited)
Composed by Pino Donaggio
Conducted by Natale Massara

User Reviews

Slow to get going

A very long build up to the first scare, and even then it's not at all scary by today's standards. But there are still some enjoyable aspects. The storyline is well developed, the acting is pretty good, and the gags work well. The werewolf transformation is first rate, especially for the 80s. A pretty good movie in the end.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Howling

Filming Locations:

Westlake Village, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$17,985,893

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,985,893

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Pictures, International Film Investors, Wescom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1